Here the famed primatologist explores the great ape (gorillas, chimpanzees - including bonobos - and orangutans) interpreting the latest research and describing relationships among the different species, all in the context of the mounting threat of extinction. Over 125 up-close images illustrate their behaviours.



Mythologized since the days of Aristotle, few animals have captured the popular imagination as the great apes, here identified as gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans. Yet, our understanding of these apes as the "blood kin" of humans - nearly identical in biological composition and strikingly similar in some behaviours - has been much disputed throughout history. It has taken over a century of research and scientific discoveries to dispel the Victorian notion and portrayal of these animals as savage, aggressive, fearful beasts. Along with Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas has dedicated her life to studying apes in their natural habitat and has become one of the world's leading authorities on orangutans. One hundred and twenty-five engaging, up-close images, taken on location in the dense forests of Borneo and the tree-top canopies of Africa by internationally renowned wildlife photographer Karl Ammann, illustrate the lives and behaviours of these fascinating creatures. Great Ape Odyssey offers an overview of what we have learned about these intriguing, humanlike animals, and in turn, what they can teach us about ourselves.